printing on canvas

a step-by-step guide to printing on canvas

For those who are new to printing on canvas, here are some of the steps involved in the printing and canvas stretching process.

Step 1

You send us your digital photo for printing, either via our simple upload facility, or on a cd in the post. We check to see whether your photo is suitable for the size of canvas you’ve chosen. We allow for extra canvas to accommodate the wrap or bleed edge and also enough canvas to stretch it.

If you have a photo, a negative or a slide, which you would like printing on canvas and you do not have an electronic file, that’s not a problem. Your photo or negative will be professionally scanned to generate a high-resolution electronic file for printing.

Step 2

We use wide format printers in printing your photo directly onto the surface of high quality, real artist cotton canvas. Once the image has finished printing, we leave it for the inks to settle and dry. Once dry, your canvas print is marked out on the reverse to enable it to be stretched easily.

Step 3

Your canvas stretcher is then assembled, whether you choose Hardwood in 30mm or 40mm depths or 30mm deep Softwood. AT canvas differs from many of our competitors in that we manufacture our own, gallery quality stretcher bars as opposed to buying them in from external suppliers.

We only manufacture expandable stretcher bars complete with tension wedges in the corners. This enables you to re-tension the canvas over time if it sags. You simply need to tap the pegs further into the joins to re-stretch the canvas.

If your canvas is over 90cm in size it will come complete with the necessary cross bars and half bars to ensure that the structure remains stable. We recommend that canvas prints over 90cm are stretched over our hardwood stretcher bars. The hardwood timber is denser and is more stable, making it ideal for stretching large canvas prints.

Step 4

We stretch all our canvas prints by hand. We don’t use canvas stretching machines. This ensures a professional finish every time. Using canvas stretching pliers to apply tension to the canvas, we begin at the centre and work outwards to achieve an even. We are careful not to cut through the canvas with our pneumatic stapler.

Step 5

Once stretched we then insert the tension wedges into the corners of your stretcher. As mentioned above, if over time your canvas sags slightly over time, something it may well do if hung in a warm environment, all you need to do is tap the tension wedges further into the joins. This expands the frame and further stretches the canvas.

As we print your logo on the back of your canvas, this will be visible on the back surface of the stretcher bar when the canvas is turned over.

Step 6

Your canvas comes ready to hang. We screw gallery strap hangers into the stretcher bars to ensure that your print will hang securely on the wall. Do not use wire to hang your canvas. Hanging a wire between the stretcher bars puts undue stress on the structure.

Step 7

To protect your canvas print in transit, it is wrapped in a plastic sleeve and then placed into one of our own, telescopic cardboard boxes. These trap the canvas inside to prevent it from moving within the box.

Now that you've read about the process, click here to begin printing your photos on canvas.